Cloudy Eyes
by unholy-scribe
Summary: Trafalgar Law decides to take a chance and buy a slave named Desarae. What is in store for her new life? Law/OC
1. Chapter 1

Wait. All she could do was wait. Each minute passed at an agonizingly slow rate. Everything seemed to go at a crawl. With time going so slow, it was also going too fast. She shifted her position, causing the chains covering her to clang together, breaking her personal silence. Her breaths seemed to become strained, piquing the curiosity of her neighbors. She was so weak and pitiful. Vulnerable even. She bit her lip to restrain her quivering breaths.

Someone came into the large room to inform the guards of his order.

"Prepare number 13.", he said quietly, but not quietly enough.

The one to the girl's left began to panic. He pushed his back to the wall behind him in futile attempts to escape the two guards approaching him. He began to shriek as the pair got within arms length from him. They grabbed the man with great force and dragged him, kicking and screaming, out of the cage. He was soon silenced with a gag and whipped until he stopped struggling. He was then led to the door leading to the stage.

The girl tensed at sudden realization. Her heart sped up and she produced a few beads of sweat. She was next. She was about to be sold to a stranger who would do whatever they wanted with her. Nothing could comfort her now. Panic manifested her thoughts. Despair filled her expression. She bowed her head, letting her black hair fall off of her shoulders.

Applause was heard coming from the stage, signalling the end of the current bid. The same man came in to inform the guards.

"Prepare number 14.", he ordered.

The girl began to shake involuntarily. The guards came at her with grins plastered on their lips. She closed her eyes, trying to avoid the threat of tears in them. She didn't want to do it again. Not again. Years of slavery flooded her memories again. She was then guided out of the cage and soon to the backstage area. A woman came up to her and quickly combed her hair and wiped away any stray tears she had shed. She felt a tug on her chains, pulling her towards the bright stage. She took a quick sniffle and followed the guards.

Blinding lights met her green eyes, dilating them suddenly.

"Next up! We have number 14! She's 23 years old and very healthy! Her bright green eyes can enchant you if you look too long. She's known to be loyal and very obedient. Not only is she a beauty, but she is also a devil fruit user! A strong Paramecia type that allows her to control her blood as well as others! She is slightly used from her old owner but nevertheless she is a fantastic musician! Her name is Desarae and her starting bid will be 200,000 Beli!", the announcer boomed to the interested audience.

Voices chatted amongst each other, intrigued by her. She bit her lip to avoid speaking out. She fidgeted in her spot, feeling the sea stone chains still tightly around her. The feeling of them pressed against her deep gashes made her cringe silently. Her weakened state prevented her from helping her oozing wounds that spotted her back.

Soon enough, the bids began. There were more than she had expected. They were bidding over each other, raising the price slowly. It seemed as though none of them wanted to pay too much for the girl.

The price had raised to about 550,000 Beli. No one else seemed to try and go higher. The man with the current highest bid seemed to be relieved.

"700,000!", someone shouted.

Heads turned in the direction of the voice. Desarae as well wanted to know who would pay such a high price for her. She couldn't see the face of the man but she saw the small number plate being held up.

Everyone muttered to each other, curious as to why he would offer so much. The former highest bidder seemed frozen and defeated.

"Anyone going to go higher than 700,000? Going once!", the auctioneer announced. "Going twice? Sold! To number 42!", he said, slamming down a hammer to the small podium.

Desarae felt a pull on her chains, instructing her to move off of the stage to the 'sold' room. Various other slaves that were previously auctioned sat in the cage as well. Some seemed to be praying, others were panicking. Desarae kept her lips sealed as she was chained to her spot.

Waiting. Here it was again. This time she could only wait to slave over the highest bidder until she herself or her new master died. Her mind could not keep silent however. Her thoughts ran around the idea that someone had spent so much on her. This was her third time being sold and never had she sold for so much. She had both fears and hopes about her buyer. Maybe he wanted her for manipulative reasons. Maybe he only wanted her for occasional music. She had no idea and had no choice but to wait.

The auction came to a close soon enough, meaning that the sold slaves would be given to their new masters. Desarae swallowed hard, seeing the slaves go one by one, closer and closer to her.

"Number 14!", the collector called to the guards.

Her heart jumped in fear. She didn't want to do this again. She didn't want to be used. Despite her silent wishes, the guards pulled her chains and dragged her toward the room where she would be taken. She kept her head down and shielded her eyes that had tears threatening to spill. Desarae took a deep breath as the light changed, meaning she had entered the room.

"700,000 Beli and she's all yours!", the collector said in an evidently fake pleasant tone.

The sound of a bag of money hit the desk beside her. The guards handed the chains to two men that must have been with the buyer. She still avoided eye contact but managed to notice that the chains were given to two men in white overalls with brown boots. The pair began to walk forward, ushering Desarae not too far behind them.

As she was led outside, she watched the grass that she walked on, seeing the occasional bubble arise from the ground. She liked to think of the ground of the Archipelago as a symbol of perseverance. People walked over the ground everyday, all day, but bubbles still rose to freedom in the sky. It didn't make sense to some, but the sheer thought of it made the corner of her mouth twitch into a weak smile.

Her small trance was broken by the change from grass under her feet, to a hollow dock, as she presumed by the sound of boots against it. The men escorting her had stopped, as did she in response. Another pair of boots, hidden under blue jeans with peculiar spots met the top of her lowered vision.

"Your name?", a deep voice asked.

The voice was the same that called out the large price for her. The only difference is that it wasn't a shout, it was a calm toned question. His voice soothed her some. The depth of it. The smooth serene way it was said.

"I believe you already know that, M-", she began, with a quiet tone.

"I asked _you_. What is your name?", he emphasized.

"Desarae, Master.", she responded weakly.

The man let out a sigh. The sound of a sword being unsheathed met her ears. She tensed as a glare of metal flashed by her vision for a mere second. She felt something different and looked down at her body.

Her chains were cut and laid on the ground around her feet. Her slave collar joined the metal links on the dock.

"I'll set two things straight. One, you aren't a slave anymore, you're going to be a part of my crew, not a human we use."

"Your crew…?", she asked, confusion filling her thoughts.

"And two, don't call me 'Master', 'Captain' will do just fine.", he finished. "Any questions?"

She gave a small nod, not finding words to say as millions of questions ran through her mind.

"I'm...not a slave?", she muttered, lifting her head slightly.

Her sight got up to the man's stomach. A yellow and black hoodie was spotted. One hand in his pocket, the other holding the previously used sword. Tanned hands were also covered in various tattoos. Letters on his knuckles, and odd symbols on his hands and forearms.

"Not anymore, you're a pirate now.", he responded plainly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Pirate…", she repeated, feeling the word on her tongue.

"Or you don't have to be. You're free now. You can choose to either go free and try to live a life on your own, or come with us and become a pirate. It's up to you, I won't stop you either way."

This made her finally look up at the man, befuddled by his words. She had a choice? Never had she ever been given the opportunity to do such a thing.

She studied his face to try and read him. His skin was the same tanned tone as his arms. His sideburns and goatee were jet black. Pairs of gold hoops decorated the bottoms of his ears. A bright white hat with spots that were similar to the ones that danced across his pants did the same on the bottom of the rim and just above that. His eyes were half-lidded and tired, but still pierced her being. Those cloudy gray eyes were just waiting for her to make a move.

Unfortunately, she gained no upper hand to what he could possibly be thinking. Was this a test of her loyalty? Was he planning to kill her if she chose against him? Or was he genuinely giving her a choice?

She looked down at her feet again, thinking of every scenario of both options. Being a pirate with them sounded fun. Living with others that she would learn to trust, seeing the world and all it has to offer. But pirates were criminals and brutal in every sense of the word. Danger would come around every corner. But if it was protecting people she could trust, would she mind?

Desarae looked at the man again, then down at her hand. She stood up straight and took a deep, slow breath.

"May I ask the name of my new captain?", she said calmly.

The man's straight lips slightly curved to a smile, revealing a small glint of teeth.

"My name is Trafalgar Law. Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Desarae."

She emitted a small smile. That was the first genuine smile caused by another person in a very long time.

Laughs and cheers sounded beside her. She turned her head to see the men that must have been holding her chains.

"What're you two howling about, Shachi, Penguin?", Law asked the two.

"We finally got a girl on the crew!", the one she presumed was Penguin by the word on his hat cheered.

"Captain must have a soft spot for you or something.", Shachi laughed, raising his palm.

Shachi, in the midst of his laughter, patted the girl on her back with a firm hand. She yelped in pain suddenly, feeling him hit her swollen bruises and various gashes. The pair jumped a bit at her shriek.

"Oi Shachi! Don't hit a girl so hard! They're fragile!", Penguin scolded.

"No, I don't think it was him.", Law said, stepping closer to Desarae. "You're injured, aren't you?"

She took a small step away from him, not used to being too close to people, before giving a small nod.

"It's not too bad though, just some bruises and gashes.", she said quietly.

"Gashes?!", Penguin and Shachi yelled in shock.

"Lift up the back of your shirt.", Law ordered, gently turning her away from the two by her shoulders. "Shachi, Penguin, turn away."

The pair obeyed with small pouts, turning their backs to their new crew member. Desarae hesitantly pulled up the back of her worn shirt, still covering as much of her front as she could.

She could almost feel him observing her wounds. She imagined his eyes flickering from scars to bruises to gashes. Those piercing cloudy eyes.

"You're bleeding quite a lot, I'm surprised you don't seem faint.", he commented quietly.

"I can stop the bleeding.", she said, raising a hand over her shoulder.

Her hand rose up slowly, corresponding with the trails of blood rising back into the wounds. She then clinched her hand into a fist, making the oozing gashes turn to solid scabs.

"Fascinating.", Trafalgar said, rubbing his goatee in thought. "So that's the blood Paramecia they mentioned."

"Yes, it comes in handy now and then.", she said.

"Nonetheless, when we get back to the sub, I'll have Bepo stitch them up properly."

"Aww! Why does Bepo get to do that?" Penguin and Shachi asked in unison.

"Because he, unlike you two, won't be driven by physical attraction to do anything else.", he responded.

"Then, Captain, why don't you-", Penguin began.

"The sub is surfacing.", Law interrupted.

Not far off from the dock, a bright yellow vessel surfaced, bearing the same symbol that the captain wore on his hoodie. It soon made its way closer to the dock, bobbing along the waves.

"Welcome to your new home.", Law said, a small smile on his face.

The door on the deck opened with a figure running out. Desarae blinked a few times to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. It was a snow white bear in an orange overall and boots, similar to those Shachi and Penguin wore.

"Who are you?", the bear said in a low calm voice.

Her mouth gaped slightly. Not only was it a bear standing upright, he talked too. Her captain delicately tapped the bottom of her chin, telling her to close it, before he spoke.

"This is Desarae. I bought her and now she's a part of our crew.", he explained in place of the astonished girl.

"Bought her? So she's a slave?", the bear asked, tilting his head at her.

"She was, now she's a pirate with us."

"I see. Wait..aren't slaves expensive?!", he asked, his voice becoming louder and more pitched.

"I guess. She was 700,000 Beli so-", Law stated, a bit too casually.

"You mean over half of our budget for this island?!", the bear said in a distressed tone.

"Don't worry, Bepo, I'll take full responsibility for her. But I do need you to do me a favor."

"Huh? What is it?", Bepo asked in a calm tone again, his ears perking up slightly.

"Desarae has some gashes in her back and I need you to stitch her up and bandage her up, can you do that?"

"Aye aye, Captain!", he said with a salute.

Bepo pulled out a plank to connect the dock to the deck, allowing the four to get on. Bepo held the metal door open as they entered the submarine. Law led the way with Desarae slightly hiding behind him.

Various other crew members, whom were working on the ship, noticed Desarae and watched her intently. They tried to look her in the eye but she simply looked down at her captain's feet in front of her. The dim lit hallway connected to a brightly lit room, where her captain's steps stopped.

She raised her head and observed the room. It was a fairly large room, assorted types of medical equipment were scattered along the edges of the room. Monitors stood at the sides as well, silent in their unused states.

"Sit over there.", Law commanded, pointing a finger with a 'T' on it, in the direction of the single bed.

She gave a small nod and shuffled over to the pure white support. She sat on it gently, feeling the plush surface under her. Her fingers slid across the sheets and the blanket, savoring the softness.

Law walked in front of her and squatted to meet her lowered eyes. Her daze broke to meet his eyes.

"Y-yes?", she said, telling him that he had her attention.

"Bepo is going to tend to your gashes. I'm going to back with some clean clothes for you, understood?", he explained.

"Yes, Captain.", she said with a nod.

He nodded back before standing back up and leaving the room. She watched the metal door as it closed behind him. She shifted a bit in her spot, making her realize that he made her feel much more comfortable.

"Um, could you please remove your shirt and move your hair?", Bepo asked quietly.

Desarae looked back at him and noticed his small tray in his hands. It held a needle, black thread, a roll of bandages, and a few cotton balls.

She soon gave a small nod before obliging to his requests. She rested her elbows on her thighs, moving her hair over her the front of her shoulders. Bepo emitted a small noise of confusion, making her look back at him.

"Your gashes have scabbed over."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I did that to stop the bleeding, hold on.", she said.

She raised her hand over shoulder again in a fist, slowly opening her hand. The scabs appeared glossy as the hardened blood became loosened again.

"Strange power.", Bepo stated, fairly calmly.

She turned her head away again to let him begin his work. Desarae closed her eyes and focused on trying figure out what he was doing. She also focused on her breathing, helping her to calm down in the foreign situation.

"How did you get these?", Bepo asked curiously.

She tensed up slightly at the question.

"When...my last master died, his sister blamed me, simply because it was a major blood clot. She decided to 'teach me a lesson' before I was to be sold again. That lesson included a whip…", she trailed off.

"Death by blood clots are kinda rare. If they knew that then they would have no right to accuse you.", Bepo commented.

"As well as I was in sea stone chains when it happened, so how could I have done it?", she said quietly.

"Rich people aren't very smart, are they?", he said.

Desarae let out a small giggle at his words. It was cut short by pain poking in her back. She flinched slightly and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, I should've warned you.", he said in a depressed tone.

"No no, it's alright! I should've been paying attention.", she reassured, not wanting him to be sad.

He returned to his stitching, sewing each wound closed with absolute diligence. When he finished, he wiped down her back to rid it of stray dried blood. He then wrapped the bandages around her torso, covering her back as well as her front.

"Finished.", Bepo said finally.

She let out a small sigh of relief and relaxed her muscles.

"Thank you, Bepo.", she said calmly with a small smile.

"Bepo.", a voice said from the door. "I'm coming in."

The heavy door creaked open to reveal the captain with clothes in his arms. He threw them towards Desarae.

"Those are the smallest clothes I could find. They'll have to work for now, until we can get more money. Since you're injured, you'll sleep in here for a little while.", he informed. "Hurry and get dressed so I can introduce you to the crew.", he said, pointing to the corner of the room with a curtain.

She simply nodded and shuffled over to the closed off area. The clothes consisted of a black A-shirt, that hung somewhat loosely on her, and baggy gray pants that luckily managed to rest on her hips. She still lacked shoes, as she did before.

Desarae peeked from behind the curtain before stepping out in front of the two.

"Good, they'll work.", he said before walking over to an odd looking pipe at the side of the room. "All crew members report to the deck for an announcement, I repeat. All crew members report to the deck."

Law began walking down the hall, waving his finger to beckon the two to follow him. She hurried and stayed close behind him as he led them back to the deck. Her eyes trying to focus on where they were going this time, so she could find her way back.

They came to a door where the light of the sun was peeking through. They passed through it and came to the familiar yellow deck.

Law held out the sword that he so commonly held, placing it into Bepo's hands. He then walked to the end of the deck and watched the Heart Pirates file in, giving various different glances to the unknown girl. Desarae shifted in her spot, moving her wandering gaze securely to her feet.

She risked a quick glance to her Captain. He was standing fairly close to her, she noticed. As a slave, she was cautious, if not scared, of being this close to someone; however, he had a calming effect on her with the minimal distance. She looked back up too see that many men in familiar white overalls were standing together, murmuring among each other.

"What's the announcement, Captain?", one of them asked.

"Who's the little beauty?", another asked with a flirtatious tone.

Desarae couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the second question. She stood a bit over 5'8", so it wasn't to common for her to be called 'little'. Although, surrounded by men around 6 feet tall, she supposed that the comment was relevant.

"The answers are one in the same. Listen up!", Law said sternly, snapping the others into attention. "Her name is Desarae. I recruited her, and as you can imply, she is now one of your crewmates. I expect you to treat her with respect. Treat her just as you do with each other, despite her sex. That being said, if any of you are forward with her in any way that even makes me think she's uncomfortable, I will personally castrate you in a more tortuous way than you imagine."

All of them physically cringed at his last sentence. Desarae's eyes widened a bit, looking to him. That seemed awfully protective of someone he'd only known for maybe an hour or so.

"That's all I think I'll need to say about that. Anything you'd like to say?", he said, looking to the girl beside him.

She flinched a bit as she felt all of the eyes shift to her. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.

"I look forward to knowing each of you. I apologize if I'm a bit shy off the bat, but I will warm up to all of this eventually. I'm happy I get to have this opportunity.", she said quickly, bowing her head slightly.

She heard her captain emit a small laugh before he spoke.

"As you all were.", he said with a small wave, dismissing the group.

They all relaxed a little and made small talk with others as they filtered back into the sub. Bepo handed Law back his sword.

"Um, Captain?", she called quietly, catching his attention. "What should I do now?"

"That should be obvious. Go back to your room and rest so you can heal. Do you remember your way back?", he asked plainly.

Her gaze faltered and she made a slight face along the lines of a so-so response.

"I figured. Follow me and try to pay attention this time.", he said before walking.

She paused for a moment, just watching him as he walked. She quickly snapped out of her slight daze, noticing he was more than a few feet away from her.

Desarae shuffled hurriedly, trying to catch up to him. Her hand subconsciously reached out and lightly pinched the sleeve of his hoodie as she caught up. She yelped quietly as she released her delicate grip. He looked back at her with a small look of confusion. She silently hoped that he didn't see her grab his sleeve.

She did as asked and memorized how to get back to her room. When they arrived, she timidly sat on the bed, criss-crossing her legs comfortably. She found it to be the best option, since she couldn't comfortably lay on her back.

"I'll be right back. I don't think you're planning on going anywhere though.", Law said before leaving the room again.

Her eyes met Bepo who stayed in the room. She tilted her head slightly because he was just watching her. He soon began to walk over to her and pull out something from his pocket.

"What's that?", she asked, cautious of what it could possibly be.

"A tape measure. Can I have your foot?", he said as if it was obvious.

She nodded as he knelt down, holding out one of his hands. She uncrossed her legs and gently put her foot in his paw. The bear began to wrap the measure around it and along its lengths.

"May I ask why you're measuring my foot?"

"You need shoes. None of the ones we have would work for you."

Desarae gave a silent nod, despite that he wasn't looking at her.

"Desarae~!", two voices sang.

She looked over to see Penguin, Shachi, and Law standing at the door with many things in hand.

"We brought you some food and water.", Shachi said, setting a plate of rice balls on the small table next to the bed.

Penguin followed suit by setting a large mug of water near the plate.

"Thank you, you two.", she said happily to the beaming pair.

"Anytime~", they both said merrily as they left the room.

"Do you like to read?", Law asked.

Her attention snapped to him. She noticed a small group of books under one of his arms. She gave a gentle nod.

"Good. That'll give you something to do while you're healing.", he said, dropping the books on the side table.

"Am I not supposed to do anything while I'm healing?"

"As for right now, no. We have to do a few things on this island before we go. When we do, I'll tell you what you should do and all. Also, if you work too hard, Bepo's stitches will open, which would make them pointless, and you won't heal."

"I see.", she said simply.

"Today's probably been one hell of a day, so rest.", Law said, turning to leave again.

"C-captain!", she stuttered.

Law looked back, seeing something that made his eyes widen. She was bowing. Not just a simple arch of her back. She was on her knees, her hands pressed to the ground, and her head lowered.

"Thank you! For all of this", she said shyly, but with a bold tone.

Words sounded caught in his throat. He quickly cleared it and turned back around to face the door.

"G-get some rest.", he said before nearly rushing out of the room.

She raised her head as soon as Bepo left as well. She looked at the door with a slightly confused glance, as if it could give her answers.

Desarae shrugged to herself and sat back on the bed. She picked up one of the rice balls left for her and smiled at it before biting into it.

'One hell of a day, indeed.', she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Desarae's stomach growled pathetically. She had eaten the rice balls that were given to her, but it did not satisfy her malnourished body. Over the years, her body had become fragile looking and thin. She was not just skin and bones but she didn't have enough muscle to make her appear strong.

Ripples of ribs peaked on her sides. Hip bones stood out on her pear-shaped frame. Kneecaps pronounced against her legs. Ridges of her spine partially prodded her flesh. Her feet and hands were thin and appeared brittle.

As she examined her body, she clinched her fist. She had to get stronger. Stronger to protect and fight in her new life. Desarae knew it was futile to try and get stronger with no meat on her bones.

She let out a sigh and relaxed her fist, returning to the book in front of her. As soon as her back healed, she was going to get stronger. Determination filled her mind, motivating her to change now but knowing she shouldn't.

Her captain's words resounded in her mind. Her captain. The thought of how much her life had changed over the past few hours was still unbelievable. She fidgeted with the shirt she was given, smiling as she did so. The pain in her back was not even in her thoughts. She was so surprised and overjoyed that it was not valid to think of the negative anymore.

Desarae was free.

She silently mouthed the words, making her lips curl up in the biggest smile she had emitted in around 15 years. It had really been that long.

Her thoughts were broken by a knock on the door.

"Come in..?", she said after a moment.

The door opened slowly, revealing one of the crew members she saw on the deck.

"Desarae, is it?", he asked politely.

She let out a shy nod.

"Alright, well, the captain left me in charge of you."

"In charge of me?", she pondered verbally.

"Just to make sure you have everything you need while he's out.", he clarified.

"Did captain go back on the island?", she asked.

"Yes. He, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin went back on the Archipelago. Probably for supplies and whatnot."

"I see. Thank you for telling me."

"Is there anything you need at the moment?"

"Would it be too much trouble for some more food and water?", she asked quietly.

"Not at all. I'll be right back with that.", he said, grabbing the plate and mug resting by her bed.

Soon enough, she was left alone again. Her stomach growled again at the promise of more food. She rubbed it lightly and made a face of slight discomfort. Desarae shook it off and returned to the book page she left off on. Her eyes flicked from word to word, gathering the story it told.

As her thoughts became drowned in the book yet again, a familiar knock sounded on the door.

"Come in!", she said with less hesitation than before.

The same crew member had returned with more food and water, as requested. Desarae muttered a small thanks as he nodded and left to return to work.

In her situation, she couldn't help but feel spoiled. In a matter of hours she had received so many things. Freedom, food, shoes, clothes, treatment, a new chance at life. In her time, she has never experienced such grace and kindness.

She made a silent decision, telling herself to loosen up and become comfortable as soon as possible. With a nod to no one in particular, she bit into another rice ball. She made a small pleasant noise when she tasted the fish hidden in her food. She couldn't quite tell what kind exactly but it was delicious.

Desarae spent her time alone doing odd little things. Poking around the room to familiarize herself with it. Combing her hair with her fingers and playing with it. Determining what was the most comfortable way to lie down in her state. Switching between her novel and the various medical books which resided in the room. A little bit of everything, one could suppose.

Her restlessness was uncontrollable. She was so used to constantly having something to do, and now she had nothing on the agenda. Desarae rested herself back on her stomach and closed her eyes. She then began to hum to herself. She wasn't too much of a singer, but with a lack of instruments, it was an easy way to calm her mind.

She dwelled on old, good, memories. Smiling faces, games, laughter, and not a care in the world. The song was her link to those days, as songs could do for most. She was so at peace, so comfortable that she could just-

"Desarae...oi, Desarae…!", the sound was faint and getting louder.

"Hm..?", she sounded quietly.

"You fell asleep."

With that, she snapped her eyes open and pushed herself up. She didn't mean to dose off and immediately felt guilty. She moved her hair from her face and saw her captain sitting on the side of her bed. He chuckled ever so slightly at her sleepy startled face.

"Sleep well?", he asked.

She nodded a bit and felt her face heat up from embarrassment. She sat on the side as well and stretched carefully, not to upset her stitches.

"I have a couple surprises for you.", he said, holding up a box to her.

She gently took it from him and opened it. Inside was a pair of black, laced up, boots. They appeared to be her size, so she slipped them on her feet and stood beside the bed. A big grin was present on her face the whole time. She walked in a small circle, hearing the sound the soles made on the floor.

"Are these...really for me?", she asked, looking at Law.

He nodded, wearing an amused expression. She gasped in joy and ran around the small bed a few times, giggling as she did.

"Thank you so much, Captain!", she said cheerfully, hopping in place.

Desarae sat on her bed again, catching her breath from her burst of happiness.

"As for the other surprise," he began. "You are not the only new recruit today."

"If I may ask, is it fairly regular for you to recruit new crewmates?", she asked curiously.

"No, but fate decided that today I get two. You and Jean Bart. Have you ever heard of him?"

"I can't say I have. I only know of what my masters used to gossip about, and his name doesn't ring a bell.", she replied while slowly shaking her head.

"He used to be a captain of his own crew, and ended up becoming a slave for the Celestial Dragons. He was abandoned by them during some chaos at the Auction House and I decided to have him join us.", he explained briefly.

"Chaos at the Auction House? What happened?"

Law proceeded to tell her the story of all that happened during and after the second auction. He also explained who the supernovas were and their involvement. The whole endeavor made Desarae's jaw gape.

"To think that someone would actually punch a Celestial Dragon blows my mind. And you got to fight along side the two supernovas with the highest bounties! I wish I could've seen it."

"In the future, you may. Something tells me I'll see those two again someday.", he chuckled lightly.

"The same something that told you to recruit me and Jean Barl?", she asked, raising her brow a bit.

"I suppose so. You seem to enjoy stories, so maybe I can tell you more sometime."

"Really?", she responded hopefully, wonder sparkling in her eyes.

"Why not? If it can also help you warm up to this life, then I think that validates itself.", he shrugged.

Desarae was the closest to cloud nine she had ever been in her life. The feelings of joy, hope, and other wonderful emotions built up inside her so much that she couldn't hold it in any longer.

She threw her arms around her captain and hugged him warmly. It was the first affectionate contact she had had with anyone for so long that she felt warm and bubbly by it.

"Thank you so much, Captain! I can't say that enough! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

She quickly let go of him and scooted a bit away from him and bowed her head.

"And I'm very sorry if that was uncomfortable for you, I just got so excited and-"

She was stopped by a hand patting her head. She looked up with that hand still in place. Law was looking away and gently rubbing her head. He suddenly got up and began to leave the room.

"Don't be sorry, there's no need to be. I'll have dinner brought to you in a little while.", he said, closing the door behind him.

Desarae stared at the door again, then smiled warmly to herself. She thought she saw something, but couldn't say for sure if it was her eyes or her wishful thinking.

"Were Captain's ears a little red?", she whispered to no one.

The thought of her strong captain with such an adorable feature made her cheeks warm. She situated back onto her stomach again and snuggled her face against her pillow. She gently kicked her legs in the air, feeling her gifts on her feet.

Of the millions of ways she could have imagined this day would go, she would have never thought up such a scenario in her wildest dreams. The promise of freedom, a new life, new hope, a new tomorrow. The promise of more food. And thus, for the umpteenth time that day, her stomach growled.


	3. Chapter 3

"Desarae, please come with me!", one of the crew members said frantically.

She was quite confused by the sudden request but grabbed her book and followed him with haste. Other crew members came in waves with equipment into the medical room. It was an organized chaos. All the while, the ship was slowly tilting upward, more than likely, towards the surface.

"What's happening?", she finally asked.

"A rescue. That's why we need the medical room.", he explained vaguely.

As they passed one of the halls, Desarae caught sight of the captain, Bepo, and Jean Bart heading up to the deck. She was still lost from the situation but decided to save her questions for later.

She was led to the crew's quarters and was asked to stay there until someone came and got her. Desarae tried to convince him that she could maybe be of some help to them, but was rejected due to "captain's orders". With that, he shut the door in her face, leaving her to huff and pout alone.

She sat beside the door stubbornly, listening to anything she could hear past the door. At first, there was nothing to be heard, but the ship was rocking erratically. She deduced that some kind of hell must be happening outside to be able shake the vessel. It did not last long however. The next thing she knew there was the creaking of wheels and distressed conversations.

"Surgery?", she whispered to herself, overhearing the word.

All went silent for a few minutes, allowing her to read a few pages of the book she grabbed. As things seemed calm again, something hit the ship, knocking her still form. Someone on the communication pipes said that the water around them was turning to ice.

"What?", she gasped, pressing her ear to the door.

The roar of engines sounded through the halls for a couple of minutes before calming again. Back to nothingness. Desarae's curiosity ate at her mercilessly. What was going on? Who were they "rescuing"? And hundreds more queries filled her mind.

A few chapters later, the submarine began to get very hot and humid. She could even hear Bepo whining outside the door. She pitied the creature whom was covered in a thick coat in such a temperature. Shachi and Penguin were also heard, but not in simple voices. Instead it sounded as if the three were playing around like mischievous children.

She giggled at the picture that formed in her head of the trio. Soon enough, Bepo was running towards the deck door with anxious breaths. Many other footsteps followed in different intervals, one of which sounded like wooden sandals.

Desarae's curiosity took over, making her crack open the door to peek around. No one in sight. This was her chance and it was as good as any. She slipped out of the room as quietly as possible, making the sound of her breathing nonexistent. As she slyly tiptoed to the medical room, she could hear a steady beeping.

She peered in through the crack of the door. One empty bed, one with a person as well as the captain's sword. With a clear coast, she walked in the room to look at the sleeping boy. He was wrapped in bandages and covered in medical equipment. Closer inspection disclosed that he had a strange scar under his left eye. That was enough evidence for identification.

"Straw Hat Luffy?", she said quietly.

"Desarae.", a voice said behind her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she recognized the voice. It belonged to the one whose orders she disobeyed. She quickly turned to face him.

"Captain! I- uh…", she trailed off for a moment, noticing the huge fishman standing behind Law. "I'm so sorry, I disobeyed your orders…"

"Did you touch him?", he asked, looking to the unconscious boy.

"No, sir. I just came to look inside."

"Then, I guess it's fine this time. But in the future, if I give you an order I expect you to follow it."

"Yes, sir.", she said submissively.

"Jinbe, sleep. Desarae, come with me.", he ordered.

The two passed each other and made eye contact for a moment. Before she left the room, she gave the fishman a small bow and closed the door. Desarae continued to follow her captain's slow, steady pace.

Before she realized it, he stopped, causing her to bump into his back. When she opened her mouth to apologize, she was cut off.

"You have questions, yes?", he asked, leaning against the wall beside them.

"Why did you save them?", she replied without hesitation.

"Who knows?", he said with a smirk. "Maybe I thought it would be a shame for such a human to die in that place. Can't say for sure."

"W-where are we going now?"

"To the Island of Women. Boa Hancock, a Warlord, wants him to heal there."

"An Island of Women, is there really such a place?"

"Yes, men are traditionally forbidden, but I suppose the ruler can make the exceptions. Come with me to the deck."

She was joined there with some of the other crew members as well. When they entered the island, thousands of women greeted the large pirate ship in front of the submarine. Cheers of admiration and love flowed from each of the residents.

A few slowly brought their attention to the yellow submarine, glaring at it with great displeasure. The Heart Pirate crew were gawking at the various women surrounding them. Between the "ooh"s and "aah"s, the captain spoke up.

"Hey, if you all don't hurry and get inside the ship, you'll die.", he said, tilting his head to dodge an arrow flying at him.

Just then, a cluster of flying arrows were aimed towards the ship, causing the crew to panic. The Kuja pirates' arrows intercepted them, and the Pirate Empress told them to not attack anymore. During her speech, Law tapped Desarae's shoulder and pointed to her.

"Boa Hancock.", he said quietly.

Desarae couldn't help but feel captivated. Just as it is said, her beauty was astonishing. Desarae shyly played with her hair, feeling a bit jealous of how the masses looked at her with such adoration.

An elder spoke up from one of the rocks, opposing Hancock's wishes to take Luffy onto the island. She even said that Luffy and Law alone would not be accepted. Hancock continued to try and persuade the elder by saying that it could just be Luffy to set foot on the island.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me. But I assume that the medical equipment and techniques on this island are as good as those on my ship, right?", the captain challenged. "If his wounds reopen, he'll die for sure. If you're okay with that, then go ahead and take Straw Hatter."

The captain was smirking, knowing how valuable he was in the situation. Jinbe also emerged from the ship and added his opinion to the conversation. The elder came to a conclusion that the ship could go the gulf of the island as an exception to the past laws.

When they arrived, the crew was sectioned off to a rather small space compared to the vast island, much to the members' distress. It was rather short-lived, for a few of the warriors brought baskets of food to the isolated crew. Desarae's stomach growled at the sight and timidly followed the other members to a line waiting for stew.

She humbly stayed at the end of the line and chatted briefly with a few of her crewmates. As good things come to those who wait, she politely got her warm bowl of stew from a giant girl.

"Wait a moment…", she said.

"Aphelandra! What did I tell you about talking to the men!", another woman scolded.

"But Kikyo, this one is a girl!", she replied.

The one named Kikyo whipped her head around and caught sight of Desarae. Her eyes widened and she made her way closer to her.

"Forgive me, fair warrior, I didn't mean to associate you with the heathens.", Kikyo said.

"Pardon me, but I don't see the problem in grouping me with my crewmates.", she said simply.

Kikyo leaned down to eye-level and looked at her with serious eyes. Her voice dropped down to a stern whisper.

"Have these men treated you right? Have they abused you? If so, we can free you from them."

Desarae took a moment to process the woman's words properly, thinking them over. She began to giggle a little before it turned into full-blown laughter at the irony. She laughed to hard she nearly dropped her stew. She quickly calmed herself and met the warrior's confused eyes.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just that they actually saved me from being abused and mistreated. They've treated me better than anyone ever has.", she said with a smile.

"I'm sorry for the accusation, it's just that your appearance made me think otherwise.", Kikyo said, straightening up.

"M-my appearance..?", she echoed.

Kikyo beckoned for the one named Margaret and wrapped an arm around Desarae.

"Trafalgar Law! We'll be cleaning up your crewmate. She'll be back within the hour.", she called.

"Hey, wait..!", he tried to say, but the group was already passed the curtain.

"What's happening?", Desarae asked with a small voice of panic.

"It is the saga of "Recovering a Maiden to Her Full Beauty"!", one of them said.

It happened rather fast, it was hard for Desarae to process it. She was taken to a hot spring and the women were forcing her clothes off of her. The Kuja were shocked to see her back in the state that it was. She briefly explained how she got them to try and calm them.

With that, she was bathed gently. The warm water was a loving sensation, pleasing to her worn body. Her hair was combed and trimmed to about halfway down her back, and bangs above her eyes.

"It's kind of hard to believe that someone like you would be with all those men.", one of the women commented.

"How so?", Desarae asked.

"Well, those pirates are rather odd, compared to you. And the captain, he seems like he's rather vicious."

"I've heard stories about him. He's known for being brutal and rude. I mean, just look at him-", another began.

Desarae smashed her fist into one of the rocks beside her, making the women stop and stare at her.

"Say what you will about my appearance or anything else about me, but…" She turned her head and glared at them with piercing eyes. "Don't say another negative thing about my Captain. He's been my savior from hell, and I won't let any damn rumors say anything against the true man he is."

The warriors stopped immediately and apologized to her. They were all rather confused about how serious she was about that man. Desarae even surprised herself with how she showed her true emotions.

"Desarae, do you have the Love Sickness?", Margaret asked.

She looked at her puzzlingly. The question processed rather slowly to her before she understood exactly what she meant. Desarae blushed suddenly and began to stutter out an answer.

"M-me? With the C-captain? No way! I've only known him for a few days! I mean, he is rather handsome… I mean, his strong demeanor could be something that someone could be attracted to, but not me, of course! I suppose I just contradicted myself… But there's no way that I'm in love with the captain, or have the Love Sickness as you call it!", she sputtered, mumbling and rambling.

The girls began to laugh at their embarrassed guest, causing her to become more flustered. Before she knew it, Desarae's face was as red as blood and burning hot. The pampering time came to an end and she was returned to the gulf where the submarine resided.

It seemed like the crew got bored out of their minds while she was away. They were all sitting on the edge of the gulf, staring at the sea. Shachi was even fishing out of sheer boredom. Law must have heard her steps in the grass and turned around to see her.

"Sorry about that earlier, Captain. I was kinda being dragged.", she said shamefully.

The other crew members turned around when they heard her voice. Their mouths gaped into pleasantly surprised smiles. Various compliments on how cute and beautiful she looked came her way. Her previous envy for adoration was satisfied a little. She took her seat behind her captain and whispered to him.

"Do I really look that different?", she inquired.

He scanned her for a moment before facing the sea again, holding the Straw Hat.

"Not really, you just seem sharper than before.", he replied.

Now, there were occasional screams coming from the forest. She was informed that Luffy had awoken and was going on a grieving rampage. It didn't take too long for the yelling to stop, leading them back to silence.

Without warning, a sea king appeared not far from the coast, and was beaten by something. The crew could only wonder what creature could defeat such a beast. Just then, a man stepped out of the water, squeezing his clothes dry.

Bepo's surprised shouts identified him as the Dark King, Rayleigh. And that he was the first mate of the Pirate King's crew. Desarae's jaw dropped, especially how casually he talked about his "afternoon swim".

"By the way…", he began. "I assume that Luffy is on this island."

Law tensed up and gripped the hat in his hand at his words. After some private conversing with the living legend, the crew was preparing to depart again. As she was returning supplies to the ship, Desarae found herself staring at the old man. Something was familiar about him, but she couldn't pinpoint the reason.

Rayleigh met her gaze and smiled with a nod. She flinched a bit but returned the gesture.

"I'm glad you're free, young lady.", he called happily.

His words clicked in her mind. When she was waiting in her cell at the auction house, he was directly opposite of her in the other cage. She had cried that morning and he spoke to her.

"I wish the best for you, young lady.", was what he said.

Her smile grew once she recognized him. She cupped a hand around her mouth and replied.

"All thanks to your wishes, Mr. Rayleigh."

The old man smiled and laughed pleasantly, offering her a wave goodbye. She waved back and went back to the submarine.

"Where to now, Captain?", she asked, as he walked behind her.

"Back to Sabaody. We still haven't restocked our supplies.", he replied simply, heading to the control room.

Desarae felt a bit uneasy about returning to the Archipelago. Despite that feeling, she knew all would be well now that she was with the Heart Pirates. She already made her choice to put all of her faith in her captain when she decided to join the crew, and she didn't plan on backing out so soon. She took a deep breath and continued on to see where she could be of use.

Later that afternoon, Law made his announcement that their journey for the "New World" was put on hold. He explained it as "waiting for the right moment" and that "the grand treasure, One Piece, won't be going anywhere". Of course, all of them chose to follow their captain's instincts and stay by his side till the end of their days.

Her captain's proud smile was enough to make Desarae feel like everything would be alright, no matter what happened. This was her new life, and she was so excited for what the future would hold.


End file.
